The San Diego Padres acquired star outfielder Justin Upton and another player from the Atlanta Braves for four prospects on Friday, capping a manic week of moves in which they overhauled their outfield and landed three potentially potent right-handed bats, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Atlanta will receive left-handed pitching prospect Max Fried, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery in August, along with second baseman Jace Peterson, third baseman Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith. San Diego will also receive right-hander Aaron Northcraft.
Upton, 27, will hit free agency after the 2015 season and is expected to merit a contract well above $100 million. Atlanta, building for 2016 and beyond, weighed a number of deals before settling on the Padres, whose offseason has focused strictly on 2015.
San Diego finished its trade with the Dodgers for outfielder Matt Kemp on Thursday and are expected to do the same with its deal for outfielder Wil Myers. New general manager A.J. Preller has seemingly done the impossible: land three of the rarest resources in baseball – right-handed power bats – without sacrificing any of their major league starting pitchers (Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy) or the prospects the industry values highest (catcher Austin Hedges, outfielder Hunter Renfroe and pitcher Matt Wisler).
Fried is a potential frontline starter, the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft who was on the fast track to the major leagues until arm troubles shut him down for most of 2014. Fried, who turns 21 in January, may not pitch until 2016.
Jace Peterson is a 24-year-old second baseman who made his major league debut last season and could challenge Alberto Callaspo for playing time this season. Dustin Peterson, 20, (not related to Jace) struggled in Low A last season, his first full year out of high school. Smith, 21, is a center-field burner who stole 88 bases between two levels of A-ball in 2014.
Northcraft, 24, struggled at Triple-A last year after a midseason promotion but is probably close to big-league ready.
Atlanta now has dealt Upton and outfielder Jason Heyward this offseason as it aims to contend by 2017, when it will move into its new stadium. San Diego, meanwhile, is letting the defending champion San Francisco Giants and $200 million Los Angeles Dodgers know that any thoughts of a two-team race in the National League West are premature.
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